{ "format": "novus-learn-open-practice", "version": 1, "packId": "cognitive-skills-reading-comprehension", "source": "cognitive-skills", "slug": "reading-comprehension", "title": "Reading comprehension: passages and documents: open practice pack", "subtitle": "100 untimed questions across 10 authored sections.", "sourceHref": "/cognitive-skills/reading-comprehension", "disclaimer": "This is untimed educational practice for one cognitive skill. It is not a clinical, diagnostic, employment, or professionally recognized assessment, and it does not produce an IQ score or credential.", "worksheet": { "title": "Learner worksheet", "instructions": [ "One hundred untimed questions in ten sections, moving from short notices to dense policy passages. Every question is self-contained. Answer from the passage in front of you, not from outside knowledge.", "Choose one answer for each item. For a delayed-recall item, read its study text, cover it, and then answer without looking back." ], "groups": [ { "id": "reading-comprehension-s01", "title": "Finding stated details", "instructions": "Scan each short notice for the specific detail the question asks about.", "items": [ { "id": "reading-comprehension-s01-q01", "prompt": "Notice: 'The library will close at 5 pm on Friday 12 June for staff training. Normal opening hours resume on Saturday morning.' On which day does the library close early?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Thursday" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Friday" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Saturday" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Monday" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s01-q02", "prompt": "Announcement: 'Passengers for the 09:40 coach to Leeds should wait at bay 6. The 10:15 coach to York departs from bay 2.' From which bay does the coach to Leeds depart?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Bay 6" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Bay 2" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Bay 9" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Bay 4" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s01-q03", "prompt": "Notice: 'Dr Osei's clinic runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Appointments must be booked at least two days in advance by telephone.' How must appointments be booked?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "In person" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Online" }, { "id": "c", "label": "By telephone" }, { "id": "d", "label": "By post" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s01-q04", "prompt": "Recipe note: 'The recipe makes twelve muffins. Bake at 180°C for 25 minutes, then leave to cool for at least ten minutes before serving.' For how long should the muffins bake?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "10 minutes" }, { "id": "b", "label": "12 minutes" }, { "id": "c", "label": "18 minutes" }, { "id": "d", "label": "25 minutes" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s01-q05", "prompt": "Sign: 'Visitors must sign in at the main reception on Compton Street. Deliveries, however, should go to the goods entrance on Weaver Lane.' Where should deliveries go?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "The goods entrance on Weaver Lane" }, { "id": "b", "label": "The main reception on Compton Street" }, { "id": "c", "label": "The car park" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The sign does not say" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s01-q06", "prompt": "Pool notice: 'The pool is open from 6:30 am on weekdays and from 8:00 am at weekends. Lane swimming finishes at noon every day.' At what time does the pool open on Saturdays?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "6:30 am" }, { "id": "b", "label": "8:00 am" }, { "id": "c", "label": "12:00 noon" }, { "id": "d", "label": "It does not open on Saturdays" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s01-q07", "prompt": "Ticket desk notice: 'Tickets cost £12 for adults and £7 for children. Members receive a £2 discount on any ticket.' How much does an adult member pay?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "£5" }, { "id": "b", "label": "£7" }, { "id": "c", "label": "£12" }, { "id": "d", "label": "£10" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s01-q08", "prompt": "Council leaflet: 'Recycling is collected on alternate Mondays; general waste is collected every Wednesday. Garden waste collections pause during December and January.' How often is general waste collected?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "On alternate Mondays" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Once a month" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Every Wednesday" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Only in December and January" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s01-q09", "prompt": "Museum policy: 'Hand-held cameras are allowed in all permanent galleries. Flash photography and tripods are not permitted anywhere in the building.' Which of the following is permitted?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "A hand-held camera in a permanent gallery" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Flash photography in a permanent gallery" }, { "id": "c", "label": "A tripod in the entrance hall" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Flash photography in the café" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s01-q10", "prompt": "Station notice: 'Platform 4 is closed for resurfacing this week. Trains to Airedale will instead leave from platform 1, and all other services are unaffected.' Which platform will trains to Airedale use this week?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Platform 4" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Platform 1" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Platform 2" }, { "id": "d", "label": "None: they are cancelled" } ] } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s02", "title": "Following written instructions", "instructions": "Read each set of instructions carefully and identify what must be done, and when.", "items": [ { "id": "reading-comprehension-s02-q01", "prompt": "Instructions: 'To reset the router: unplug it, wait ten seconds, plug it back in, and then wait for the light to turn green before reconnecting your devices.' What should you do immediately after plugging the router back in?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Unplug it again" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Reconnect your devices" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Wait for the light to turn green" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Wait ten seconds" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s02-q02", "prompt": "Form guidance: 'Complete sections A and B in black ink. Section C should be filled in only by applicants renewing an existing licence. Sign and date the form at the bottom of page 2.' Who should complete section C?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "All applicants" }, { "id": "b", "label": "First-time applicants" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Nobody: it is for office use" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Applicants renewing an existing licence" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s02-q03", "prompt": "Gardening guide: 'Water the seedlings every morning until the first true leaves appear. After that, water twice a week, and feed them fortnightly.' How often should you water once the first true leaves have appeared?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Every morning" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Twice a week" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Fortnightly" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Once a week" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s02-q04", "prompt": "Medicine label: 'Take two tablets with food every eight hours. Do not exceed six tablets in 24 hours. If symptoms persist beyond three days, consult a pharmacist.' What is the maximum number of tablets allowed in 24 hours?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Six" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Two" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Eight" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Three" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s02-q05", "prompt": "Assembly guide: 'Attach the legs to the underside of the table top using the four long bolts, but leave them loose. Fit the cross-brace between the legs, then tighten all bolts fully.' When should the bolts be fully tightened?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Before attaching the legs" }, { "id": "b", "label": "As soon as the legs are attached" }, { "id": "c", "label": "They should stay loose" }, { "id": "d", "label": "After the cross-brace is fitted" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s02-q06", "prompt": "Submission rules: 'Before submitting your assignment, convert the file to PDF, name it using your student number, and upload it via the portal. Email submissions are accepted only if the portal is down.' Under what circumstances is an email submission accepted?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Whenever the student prefers email" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Never" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Only if the portal is down" }, { "id": "d", "label": "When the file is too large" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s02-q07", "prompt": "Evacuation notice: 'On hearing the alarm, leave by the nearest staircase, not the lifts. Assemble in the courtyard and wait for the roll call before re-entering.' Which route should you use to leave the building?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "The nearest staircase" }, { "id": "b", "label": "The lift" }, { "id": "c", "label": "The courtyard entrance" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Whichever exit is unlocked" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s02-q08", "prompt": "Seed packet: 'Sow the seeds 2 cm deep in trays in March. Harden the plants off outdoors for a week in May before planting them out.' What should you do in May before planting out?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Sow more seeds in trays" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Harden the plants off outdoors for a week" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Replant them 2 cm deeper" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Keep them indoors until June" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s02-q09", "prompt": "Expenses policy: 'Claims under £50 need a receipt and a line manager's signature. Claims of £50 or more also require the budget holder's approval. Submit all claims within 30 days.' What extra step applies to a £75 claim compared with a £30 claim?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "It needs a receipt" }, { "id": "b", "label": "It must be submitted within 30 days" }, { "id": "c", "label": "It needs a line manager's signature" }, { "id": "d", "label": "It also needs the budget holder's approval" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s02-q10", "prompt": "Tool manual: 'Charge the battery fully before first use. Afterwards, top up the charge whenever the indicator shows one bar, and avoid leaving the tool on the charger overnight.' After first use, when should you top up the charge?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Every night" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Once a week" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Whenever the indicator shows one bar" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Only when the battery is completely flat" } ] } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s03", "title": "Main idea and purpose", "instructions": "Look past individual details to identify what each passage as a whole is saying or doing.", "items": [ { "id": "reading-comprehension-s03-q01", "prompt": "Passage: 'The community garden began as a single allotment behind the church hall. Ten years on, it covers two acres, supplies the food bank with fresh vegetables, and runs weekly sessions for local schools. What started as one neighbour's project now involves hundreds of residents.' What is the main idea of the passage?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "The garden supplies the food bank with vegetables" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Allotments are usually found near church halls" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Schools should teach gardening" }, { "id": "d", "label": "A small local project has grown into a wide community effort" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s03-q02", "prompt": "Passage: 'Many people assume that bats are blind, yet every bat species has working eyes, and some see very well in low light. Echolocation supplements their vision rather than replacing it.' What is the main point?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Echolocation is more useful to bats than vision" }, { "id": "b", "label": "The common belief that bats are blind is mistaken" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Bats cannot see in daylight" }, { "id": "d", "label": "All animals that echolocate have poor eyesight" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s03-q03", "prompt": "Council notice: 'From April, garden waste collections will require an annual subscription of £35. Households can sign up online or at the library. Unsubscribed bins will not be emptied.' What is the primary purpose of the notice?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "To tell residents about a new subscription charge and how to register" }, { "id": "b", "label": "To persuade residents that gardening is worthwhile" }, { "id": "c", "label": "To explain how compost is made" }, { "id": "d", "label": "To apologise for missed collections" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s03-q04", "prompt": "Passage: 'The night sky in most cities now glows with artificial light. Astronomers struggle to observe faint stars, migrating birds are disoriented, and many people have never seen the Milky Way. Light pollution, unlike many environmental problems, could be reduced quickly and cheaply with better-designed street lighting.' What is the main idea?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Astronomers should move their telescopes out of cities" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Migrating birds avoid brightly lit cities" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Light pollution is harmful but comparatively easy to fix" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Street lighting should be switched off at night" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s03-q05", "prompt": "Passage: 'Repair cafés pair visitors who own broken items with volunteers who enjoy fixing things. Toasters, trousers and bicycles are mended free of charge over tea and biscuits. Organisers say the point is not just saving money but keeping skills alive and objects out of landfill.' Which title best fits the passage?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "The rising cost of small appliances" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Repair cafés: mending goods, sharing skills" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Why volunteering is declining" }, { "id": "d", "label": "How to fix your own toaster" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s03-q06", "prompt": "Passage: 'A recent trial in three hospitals replaced paper drug charts with electronic prescribing. Prescription errors fell by a third, but staff reported the new system was slower during ward rounds. The report concludes that electronic prescribing improves safety yet needs better design to save clinicians' time.' What is the trial's main finding as reported?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Paper charts are safer than electronic ones" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Staff refused to use the new system" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Prescription errors increased during the trial" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The electronic system reduced errors but cost staff time" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s03-q07", "prompt": "Charity letter: 'Last winter your donations funded 4,000 hot meals. This year, demand at our shelters has doubled while food costs have risen sharply. A gift of any size before December will help us keep every kitchen open.' What is the letter's purpose?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "To report last winter's spending in detail" }, { "id": "b", "label": "To announce that a shelter is closing" }, { "id": "c", "label": "To persuade readers to donate again" }, { "id": "d", "label": "To explain why food costs have risen" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s03-q08", "prompt": "Passage: 'Handwriting is disappearing from daily life, and some educators see no reason to mourn it. Yet studies suggest that forming letters by hand helps young children recognise them, and that students who take handwritten notes often process ideas more deeply than those who type. The case for keeping handwriting in schools is practical, not nostalgic.' What is the main idea?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "There are practical, evidence-based reasons to keep teaching handwriting" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Typing is faster than handwriting" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Nostalgia should guide education policy" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Children can no longer write by hand" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s03-q09", "prompt": "Passage: 'The village shop survives because it refuses to specialise. It is a post office counter, a bakery, a parcel point and, on Friday evenings, a pizza takeaway. Each sideline alone would fail; together they bring in enough custom to keep the doors open.' What is the main idea?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Pizza is the shop's most profitable line" }, { "id": "b", "label": "The shop stays open by combining many small services" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Village post offices are closing across the country" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Specialised shops always fail" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s03-q10", "prompt": "Passage: 'It is tempting to judge a proposal by the enthusiasm of its supporters, but the noisy few rarely represent the quiet many. Consultations that rely on public meetings alone tend to hear from the same confident voices. Surveys, sampled fairly, reach the residents who never attend.' What is the main point?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Consultations should use fair sampling, not just public meetings, to hear the wider community" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Public meetings should be abolished" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Enthusiastic supporters are usually wrong" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Residents dislike completing surveys" } ] } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s04", "title": "Vocabulary in context", "instructions": "Use the surrounding sentence to work out what the highlighted word or phrase means here.", "items": [ { "id": "reading-comprehension-s04-q01", "prompt": "Sentence: 'The committee reached a unanimous decision: all nine members voted to approve the plan.' As used here, 'unanimous' most nearly means:", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Reluctant" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Delayed" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Agreed by everyone" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Provisional" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s04-q02", "prompt": "Sentence: 'Rather than tackle the leak properly, the landlord made a series of makeshift repairs with tape and putty.' As used here, 'makeshift' most nearly means:", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Temporary and improvised" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Expensive and thorough" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Carried out illegally" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Permanent" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s04-q03", "prompt": "Sentence: 'Attendance at the evening classes has dwindled from forty students to barely a dozen.' As used here, 'dwindled' most nearly means:", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Risen sharply" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Stayed steady" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Doubled" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Gradually shrunk" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s04-q04", "prompt": "Sentence: 'The instructions were so ambiguous that half the class built the model upside down.' As used here, 'ambiguous' most nearly means:", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Detailed and precise" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Unclear: open to more than one reading" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Written in another language" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Very brief" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s04-q05", "prompt": "Sentence: 'She gave a candid account of the project's failures, admitting her own mistakes first.' As used here, 'candid' most nearly means:", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Honest and open" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Brief" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Exaggerated" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Cautious" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s04-q06", "prompt": "Sentence: 'The new booking system was meant to simplify things, but in practice it has added another layer of bureaucracy.' As used here, 'in practice' most nearly means:", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "During rehearsals" }, { "id": "b", "label": "In theory" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Occasionally" }, { "id": "d", "label": "In real use, as things actually turned out" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s04-q07", "prompt": "Sentence: 'The article's author is sceptical of the claims, noting that the study involved only twelve participants.' As used here, 'sceptical' most nearly means:", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Supportive" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Doubtful and questioning" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Unaware" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Furious" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s04-q08", "prompt": "Sentence: 'The negotiations were delicate, so both sides agreed to keep the talks confidential until a deal was reached.' As used here, 'delicate' most nearly means:", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Fragile in structure" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Light in flavour" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Requiring careful, sensitive handling" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Unimportant" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s04-q09", "prompt": "Sentence: 'Funding for the scheme is contingent on the council's approval; without it, the project cannot begin.' As used here, 'contingent on' most nearly means:", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Opposed to" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Unrelated to" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Guaranteed regardless of" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Dependent on" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s04-q10", "prompt": "Sentence: 'After the scandal, the minister's support ebbed away until even close allies distanced themselves.' As used here, 'ebbed away' most nearly means:", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Surged suddenly" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Remained loyal" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Gradually drained away" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Shifted overseas" } ] } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s05", "title": "True, false, or cannot say", "instructions": "Judge each statement against its passage alone: True if it must be so, False if it contradicts the passage, Cannot say if the passage leaves it open.", "items": [ { "id": "reading-comprehension-s05-q01", "prompt": "Passage: 'Harber & Sons has traded from the same corner shop since 1962. The firm is now run by the founder's granddaughter, who took over in 2019.' Statement: 'The business has been running for more than fifty years.'", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "True" }, { "id": "b", "label": "False" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Cannot say" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s05-q02", "prompt": "Passage: 'The ferry crossing takes forty minutes in calm weather. In rough conditions the service is sometimes suspended entirely.' Statement: 'The ferry is the fastest way to cross.'", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "True" }, { "id": "b", "label": "False" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Cannot say" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s05-q03", "prompt": "Passage: 'All entries to the poetry contest must be previously unpublished and no longer than forty lines. Winners will be announced in October.' Statement: 'Poems of any length may be entered.'", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "True" }, { "id": "b", "label": "False" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Cannot say" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s05-q04", "prompt": "Passage: 'Nadia's bakery uses only flour milled within thirty miles of the shop. Her sourdough sells out most Saturdays before noon.' Statement: 'All the flour the bakery uses is milled within thirty miles of the shop.'", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "True" }, { "id": "b", "label": "False" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Cannot say" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s05-q05", "prompt": "Passage: 'The council planted three hundred trees along the ring road last year as part of its air-quality plan.' Statement: 'The tree planting has improved air quality.'", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "True" }, { "id": "b", "label": "False" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Cannot say" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s05-q06", "prompt": "Passage: 'Membership of the astronomy society is open to anyone aged sixteen or over. Telescopes are provided at all observing evenings.' Statement: 'Members must bring their own telescopes to observing evenings.'", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "True" }, { "id": "b", "label": "False" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Cannot say" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s05-q07", "prompt": "Passage: 'Every apprentice at the yard completes a two-week safety induction before touching any machinery. Callum, an apprentice, started operating the lathe last month.' Statement: 'Callum has completed the safety induction.'", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "True" }, { "id": "b", "label": "False" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Cannot say" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s05-q08", "prompt": "Passage: 'The report found that cycling to work rose by 40 per cent in the city between 2020 and 2024. The rise coincided with the opening of three protected cycle routes.' Statement: 'The new cycle routes caused the rise in cycling.'", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "True" }, { "id": "b", "label": "False" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Cannot say" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s05-q09", "prompt": "Passage: 'Grants from the heritage fund may be used for repairs to listed buildings only. The Corn Exchange, a Grade II listed building, received a grant this year.' Statement: 'The Corn Exchange grant may be spent on new furniture.'", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "True" }, { "id": "b", "label": "False" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Cannot say" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s05-q10", "prompt": "Passage: 'Interviews for the technician post will be held on 4 and 5 September. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by email at least a week beforehand.' Statement: 'More candidates applied than were shortlisted.'", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "True" }, { "id": "b", "label": "False" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Cannot say" } ] } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s06", "title": "Reference, sequence, and cohesion", "instructions": "Track what pronouns refer to and the order in which events actually happened.", "items": [ { "id": "reading-comprehension-s06-q01", "prompt": "Passage: 'The council proposed closing the branch library, and campaigners collected five thousand signatures against the plan. This forced a rethink.' What does 'This' refer to?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "The council's proposal" }, { "id": "b", "label": "The collection of five thousand signatures" }, { "id": "c", "label": "The closure of the library" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The rethink itself" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s06-q02", "prompt": "Passage: 'Marta emailed the supplier on Monday. Having received no reply by Thursday, she telephoned, and the missing parts arrived the following morning.' On which day did the parts arrive?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Monday" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Thursday" }, { "id": "c", "label": "The following Monday" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Friday" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s06-q03", "prompt": "Passage: 'The two candidates could hardly differ more. Whereas Okafor promises to freeze fares, Lindqvist argues that fares must rise to fund new rolling stock.' Who argues that fares must rise?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Lindqvist" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Okafor" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Both candidates" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Neither candidate" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s06-q04", "prompt": "Passage: 'Before the bridge was built, villagers crossed by ferry. The ferry ceased operating two years after the bridge opened, and the old slipway was converted into a picnic area last summer.' Which event happened after the bridge opened but before the slipway was converted?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "The ferry began operating" }, { "id": "b", "label": "The villagers stopped crossing the river" }, { "id": "c", "label": "The ferry stopped operating" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The bridge closed" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s06-q05", "prompt": "Passage: 'The engineers warned the directors that the turbines would need replacing within a decade because they were already running beyond their design life.' What does 'they' most naturally refer to?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "The engineers" }, { "id": "b", "label": "The directors" }, { "id": "c", "label": "The warnings" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The turbines" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s06-q06", "prompt": "Recipe: 'Sift the flour. Once the butter has melted, this should take about a minute, stir it into the flour along with the sugar. Chill the mixture before rolling it out.' What is done immediately before chilling?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Sifting the flour" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Stirring the butter and sugar into the flour" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Rolling out the mixture" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Melting the butter" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s06-q07", "prompt": "Passage: 'The report was drafted by Iqbal, revised by Chen after the client's comments, and finally signed off by Novak.' Which sequence correctly orders their involvement?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Novak, then Chen, then Iqbal" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Iqbal, then Novak, then Chen" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Iqbal, then Chen, then Novak" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Chen, then Iqbal, then Novak" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s06-q08", "prompt": "Passage: 'Sales rose steadily until the recall, after which they halved in a single quarter. Recovery took three years.' What does 'they' refer to?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Sales" }, { "id": "b", "label": "The recalls" }, { "id": "c", "label": "The quarters" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The three years" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s06-q09", "prompt": "Passage: 'By the time the inspectors arrived, the leak had already been sealed. The night crew had spotted it during their final round and called the duty engineer at once.' Which of these events happened first?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "The inspectors arrived" }, { "id": "b", "label": "The leak was sealed" }, { "id": "c", "label": "The duty engineer was called" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The night crew spotted the leak" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s06-q10", "prompt": "Passage: 'The panel rejected the first design as too costly and the second as too cramped. The third, though slower to build, met the budget and the space requirements, and it was this one they approved.' Why was the approved design chosen?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "It was the quickest to build" }, { "id": "b", "label": "It satisfied both the budget and the space requirements" }, { "id": "c", "label": "It was the cheapest of all the designs considered" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The panel had designed it themselves" } ] } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s07", "title": "Applying rules and policies", "instructions": "Apply the written rule to the scenario exactly as stated, watching for conditions and exceptions.", "items": [ { "id": "reading-comprehension-s07-q01", "prompt": "Policy: 'Staff may work from home up to two days a week. Requests for additional remote days need written approval from a head of department.' Leah wants to work from home three days next week. What does the policy require?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Written approval from a head of department" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Nothing: three days is within the allowance" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Approval from the HR team" }, { "id": "d", "label": "That she reduce her request to one day" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s07-q02", "prompt": "Refund policy: 'Unused tickets are refundable up to 48 hours before the performance, minus a £3 fee. Within 48 hours, tickets may be exchanged but not refunded.' Theo asks for a refund 24 hours before the performance. What is he entitled to?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "A full refund" }, { "id": "b", "label": "A refund minus the £3 fee" }, { "id": "c", "label": "An exchange, but no refund" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Neither a refund nor an exchange" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s07-q03", "prompt": "Parking rules: 'Zone B permits are valid in zones B and C, but not zone A. Visitor scratch cards are valid in any zone for up to four hours.' Where may a Zone B permit holder park using the permit?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Zone A only" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Any zone" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Zone B only" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Zones B and C" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s07-q04", "prompt": "Library rules: 'Loans run for three weeks and may be renewed twice unless the item has been reserved by another borrower. Reserved items must be returned by the original due date.' Amir's book has been reserved by another borrower. Can he renew it?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Yes, twice" }, { "id": "b", "label": "No: he must return it by the original due date" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Yes, once" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Only if he pays a fee" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s07-q05", "prompt": "Travel policy: 'Employees may claim standard-class rail fares. First-class fares are reimbursed only when a standard-class ticket was unavailable at booking, and evidence of this must be attached.' Dana bought a first-class ticket for comfort while standard-class tickets were still available. Will her fare be reimbursed under the policy?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Yes: comfort is a valid reason" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Yes: first class is always allowed" }, { "id": "c", "label": "No: standard class was available at booking" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Yes, but only half the fare" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s07-q06", "prompt": "Warranty: 'The warranty covers manufacturing faults for two years. It does not cover accidental damage, unauthorised repairs, or normal wear. Claims require proof of purchase.' A kettle's heating element failed after 14 months of normal use, and the owner has the receipt. Is the claim covered?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Yes: a manufacturing fault within two years, with proof of purchase" }, { "id": "b", "label": "No: kettles are excluded" }, { "id": "c", "label": "No: 14 months is beyond the warranty period" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Only if the owner still has the original box" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s07-q07", "prompt": "Competition rules: 'Entrants must be amateurs: anyone paid for photography in the past five years may not enter. Each entrant may submit up to three images, taken by themselves within the past twelve months.' Priya was paid for a wedding shoot four years ago. May she enter?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Yes, if she submits only one image" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Yes: wedding photography does not count" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Yes, provided her photos are recent" }, { "id": "d", "label": "No: she was paid for photography within the past five years" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s07-q08", "prompt": "Tenancy policy: 'Tenants may keep one small pet with the landlord's written consent, which will not be unreasonably withheld. Dangerous or exotic animals are not permitted in any circumstances.' Which request could the policy allow?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Two dogs, without asking the landlord" }, { "id": "b", "label": "One cat, with the landlord's written consent" }, { "id": "c", "label": "An exotic snake, with written consent" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Any pet, since consent cannot be withheld" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s07-q09", "prompt": "Exam regulations: 'Candidates arriving up to 30 minutes late may be admitted but receive no extra time. Candidates more than 30 minutes late may not sit the paper and must apply for the next sitting.' Rosa arrives 40 minutes late. What happens under the regulations?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "She is admitted with full time" }, { "id": "b", "label": "She is admitted with 40 minutes of extra time" }, { "id": "c", "label": "She is not admitted and must apply for the next sitting" }, { "id": "d", "label": "She is admitted but loses 30 minutes" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s07-q10", "prompt": "Store policy: 'The loyalty discount is 10 per cent. It cannot be combined with promotional codes; where both apply, the till automatically uses whichever saves the customer more.' A customer with a loyalty card has a £60 basket and a promotional code worth £8 off. What does the till apply?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Both discounts, saving £14" }, { "id": "b", "label": "The loyalty discount, saving £6" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Neither discount" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The promotional code, saving £8" } ] } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s08", "title": "Inference and implication", "instructions": "Choose what the passage supports without stating outright: no more, no less.", "items": [ { "id": "reading-comprehension-s08-q01", "prompt": "Passage: 'The café stopped printing menus last spring. Regulars barely noticed, but visitors now cluster at the counter photographing the chalkboard, and the queue at busy times stretches out of the door.' What can reasonably be inferred?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "The café has lost most of its regulars" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Ordering has become slower for people unfamiliar with the café" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Printed menus will soon be reintroduced" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The quality of the food has declined" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s08-q02", "prompt": "Passage: 'Although the orchard's apple harvest was the smallest in a decade, the farm shop's cider sales hit a record, helped by stock pressed from previous years.' What can reasonably be inferred?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Some of the cider sold was made from earlier harvests" }, { "id": "b", "label": "The apple harvest was the largest in a decade" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Cider prices fell during the year" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The farm shop is about to close" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s08-q03", "prompt": "Passage: 'Marisol checked the departure board, sighed, and rejoined the queue at the coffee kiosk for the third time that evening.' What does the passage most strongly suggest?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Marisol dislikes coffee" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Her departure left exactly on time" }, { "id": "c", "label": "The coffee kiosk is about to close" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Her departure has been delayed" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s08-q04", "prompt": "Passage: 'The landlord replaced the locks on Tuesday. By Friday, three tenants had already reported jammed keys, and the locksmith's van was back outside the building.' What can reasonably be inferred?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "The tenants lost their keys" }, { "id": "b", "label": "The building was burgled on Thursday" }, { "id": "c", "label": "The new locks have been causing problems" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The landlord replaced the locks again on Friday" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s08-q05", "prompt": "Passage: 'No one at the meeting opposed the proposal, yet when the vote was called, only half raised their hands in favour; the rest abstained.' What does the passage most strongly suggest?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Silence in the discussion did not mean full support" }, { "id": "b", "label": "The proposal was rejected" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Half of those present voted against" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The vote was postponed" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s08-q06", "prompt": "Passage: 'The trial's authors note that participants knew which drink they had been given, and that those expecting the caffeinated one reported feeling more alert even when they had actually received decaf.' What can reasonably be inferred?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Caffeine has no effect on alertness" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Participants' expectations affected what they reported" }, { "id": "c", "label": "The decaf drinks secretly contained caffeine" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The trial was abandoned early" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s08-q07", "prompt": "Passage: 'Ana's second novel sold modestly on release. After a television adaptation aired last year, her publisher reprinted it four times in six months.' What can reasonably be inferred?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "The novel was rewritten for television" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Ana's first novel sold better than her second" }, { "id": "c", "label": "The reprints were needed to correct printing errors" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The adaptation boosted demand for the book" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s08-q08", "prompt": "Passage: 'The bakery advertises \"baked fresh on site daily\". An early customer, though, watched the driver carry in trays of part-baked loaves from a van marked with a wholesaler's logo.' What can reasonably be inferred?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "The bread is stale" }, { "id": "b", "label": "The wholesaler owns the bakery" }, { "id": "c", "label": "The slogan may not tell the whole story" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The customer made a formal complaint" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s08-q09", "prompt": "Passage: 'Attendance at the free lunchtime concerts has tripled since the hall moved them from Mondays to Fridays. The programme itself is unchanged.' What is the most reasonable conclusion?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "A new programme attracted bigger audiences" }, { "id": "b", "label": "The change of day is the likely reason for the rise" }, { "id": "c", "label": "The concerts only became free this year" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The hall was enlarged" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s08-q10", "prompt": "Passage: 'When the ferry fare doubled, commuter numbers barely changed, but weekend leisure crossings fell by half.' What can reasonably be inferred?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Leisure passengers responded to the price more than commuters did" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Commuters stopped using the ferry" }, { "id": "c", "label": "The fare rise was quickly reversed" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Weekend sailings were cancelled" } ] } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s09", "title": "Evaluating claims and evidence", "instructions": "Weigh what each passage is doing with its evidence: what is asserted, what is assumed, and how much the findings will bear.", "items": [ { "id": "reading-comprehension-s09-q01", "prompt": "Passage: 'Cycling deaths in the city fell last year. Before crediting the new junction designs, note that total cycling journeys also fell by a fifth after buses were made cheaper. Fewer riders can produce fewer casualties without any road becoming safer.' What is the writer doing in the final sentence?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Proposing a further change to the junction designs" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Conceding that the new junctions are unsafe" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Reporting the city's official explanation of the fall" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Offering an alternative explanation for the fall in deaths" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s09-q02", "prompt": "Report extract: 'The scheme cost £2.4 million and was delivered eleven months behind schedule. In the authors' view, that delay was the inevitable result of awarding the contract before the survey work was finished.' Which part of the extract is presented as opinion rather than fact?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "That the delay was the inevitable result of the early award" }, { "id": "b", "label": "That the scheme cost £2.4 million" }, { "id": "c", "label": "That delivery ran eleven months behind schedule" }, { "id": "d", "label": "That survey work formed part of the scheme" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s09-q03", "prompt": "Claim: 'A school reports that pupils who attend its breakfast club score higher in end-of-year tests, and concludes that free breakfasts raise attainment.' Which finding, if true, would most weaken the conclusion?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "The club runs on four mornings a week rather than five" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Some club members also eat breakfast at home" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Places in the club went to pupils already scoring above average" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The end-of-year tests were marked by teachers from another school" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s09-q04", "prompt": "Argument: 'The high street will recover once parking is free again, because shoppers deserted it as soon as charges were introduced.' Which assumption does the argument depend on?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "That free parking would cost the council nothing to provide" }, { "id": "b", "label": "That the charges, rather than something else, drove the shoppers away" }, { "id": "c", "label": "That shoppers prefer the high street to out-of-town retail parks" }, { "id": "d", "label": "That the shopkeepers themselves support removing the charges" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s09-q05", "prompt": "Review extract: 'The building is undeniably striking, and the atrium will photograph beautifully. Whether the staff who must spend their days in the windowless offices behind that atrium will forgive it is another matter.' What is the reviewer's attitude to the building?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Wholly enthusiastic" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Indifferent to how the building looks" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Hostile to modern architecture in general" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Admiring of its appearance but doubtful about living and working in it" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s09-q06", "prompt": "Passage: 'In a survey of 1,200 commuters, 68 per cent said they would switch to rail if journey times fell by fifteen minutes. Only 11 per cent said the same about a comparable cut in fares.' Which statement is best supported by the passage?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Among those surveyed, time savings were named far more often than fare cuts" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Rail fares are already too low to influence commuters" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Two-thirds of the country's commuters will switch to rail" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Journey times are going to fall by fifteen minutes" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s09-q07", "prompt": "Passage: 'A magazine invited its readers to vote online for the country's favourite hobby. Gardening won by a wide margin, and the magazine reported that gardening is the nation's favourite pastime.' What is the main weakness in the magazine's conclusion?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Online voting is quicker than voting by post" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Readers who chose to vote are unlikely to represent the nation" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Gardening is hard to define precisely" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The winning margin was not given as a number" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s09-q08", "prompt": "Passage: 'Towns with more ice-cream vans record more cases of sunburn. A columnist concludes that the vans somehow encourage people to neglect sunscreen.' What is the most likely explanation of the pattern?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Sunburn makes people crave cold food" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Ice-cream vans tend to park where there is no shade" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Warm, sunny weather raises both van numbers and sunburn cases" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Towns with vans keep more careful health records" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s09-q09", "prompt": "Passage: 'Since the helpline extended its opening hours, the number of calls answered within a minute has risen from 900 to 1,500 a month.' Which further information would be most useful in judging whether the service has improved?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "How many calls were made in total each month" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Which software the helpline uses to route calls" }, { "id": "c", "label": "How many years the helpline has been running" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Where the helpline's offices are located" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s09-q10", "prompt": "Passage: 'A three-month pilot on one ward found that patients given a printed discharge summary were less likely to telephone the surgery with questions afterwards. The team describe the result as promising and call for a larger trial.' Which conclusion goes furthest beyond what the pilot supports?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "The finding is worth testing on a larger scale" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Patients on the pilot ward made fewer follow-up calls" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Printed summaries may reduce follow-up calls" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Printed summaries should be issued in every hospital at once" } ] } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s10", "title": "Dense passages and multi-condition documents", "instructions": "Each document layers rules, figures and exceptions. Hold every condition in view before settling on an answer.", "items": [ { "id": "reading-comprehension-s10-q01", "prompt": "Grant scheme: 'Awards are open to organisations with an annual income under £250,000 that have been constituted for at least two years and operate in the borough. Groups that received an award in either of the previous two rounds may apply again only for a different project.' The Fairholme Singers were constituted six years ago, have an income of £41,000, are based in the borough, and won an award in the last round for their outreach project. They wish to apply again for that same outreach project. May they?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Yes: their income and their age both qualify them" }, { "id": "b", "label": "No: a recent award holder may only return with a different project" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Yes: the repeat rule applies only to groups outside the borough" }, { "id": "d", "label": "No: their income is too low to qualify" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s10-q02", "prompt": "Fee schedule: 'Room hire is £30 an hour for the first three hours and £22 an hour thereafter. Registered charities pay 25 per cent less on all hours. A £40 refundable deposit is taken at booking and returned after inspection.' A registered charity books the room for four hours. Ignoring the deposit, what is the hire charge?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "£90.00" }, { "id": "b", "label": "£112.00" }, { "id": "c", "label": "£120.00" }, { "id": "d", "label": "£84.00" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s10-q03", "prompt": "Records policy: 'Departments retain routine correspondence for three years and contracts for seven. Where a document is subject to an open legal claim, it must be retained until that claim is closed, regardless of any shorter period above. Destruction is carried out only on the records officer's written authorisation.' A supplier contract signed nine years ago is named in a claim that remains open. What does the policy require?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Retain the contract until the claim is closed" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Destroy it, since more than seven years have passed" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Retain it for a further seven years from today" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Destroy it as soon as the records officer authorises it" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s10-q04", "prompt": "Project note: 'The public consultation runs for six weeks from 1 March. The design team cannot begin detailed drawings until the consultation has closed, and the drawings take four weeks. The planning submission may be made at any point within a fortnight of the drawings being finished.' At the earliest, in which month can the planning submission be made?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "April" }, { "id": "b", "label": "July" }, { "id": "c", "label": "May" }, { "id": "d", "label": "June" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s10-q05", "prompt": "Two extracts. Council report: 'Household recycling in the district reached 48 per cent last year, our highest figure yet.' Campaign group: 'The council's 48 per cent counts material collected, not material actually reprocessed; once rejected loads are taken out, the true rate is nearer 39 per cent.' What can safely be concluded from the two extracts together?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "The council has deliberately falsified its figures" }, { "id": "b", "label": "The district's true recycling rate is 39 per cent" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Neither figure can be relied upon for any purpose" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The two figures measure different things and are not directly comparable" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s10-q06", "prompt": "Harbour regulation: 'Vehicles may not be parked on the quayside. This does not apply to vehicles loading or unloading, which may remain for up to twenty minutes. However, no vehicle of any kind may stand on the quayside while a vessel is being fuelled.' A delivery van is ten minutes into unloading crates on the quayside while the trawler alongside takes on fuel. What does the regulation require?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Nothing: unloading is permitted for twenty minutes" }, { "id": "b", "label": "The van must move, because fuelling is under way" }, { "id": "c", "label": "The van may remain for its final ten minutes" }, { "id": "d", "label": "The van may remain provided the driver stays with it" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s10-q07", "prompt": "Study summary: 'Across 14,000 participants followed for nine years, those reporting more than seven hours of sleep a night had a slightly lower rate of heart disease. The association weakened once smoking, income and existing illness were accounted for, and the authors note that sleep was self-reported.' Which statement most accurately reflects the summary?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "A modest association was found, and it shrank once other factors were allowed for" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Sleeping more than seven hours a night prevents heart disease" }, { "id": "c", "label": "The study found no association between sleep and heart disease" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Self-reported data cannot support any conclusion at all" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s10-q08", "prompt": "Contract clause: 'Where the specification, the drawings and the bill of quantities conflict, the specification prevails over the drawings, and the drawings prevail over the bill of quantities. Any written variation signed by both parties prevails over all three.' The drawings show a steel handrail, the specification shows timber, and a variation signed by both parties shows glass. Which material governs?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Steel, as shown on the drawings" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Timber, as shown in the specification" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Whichever material the bill of quantities prices" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Glass, as shown in the signed variation" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s10-q09", "prompt": "Passage: 'A heat pump moves heat rather than generating it, so a unit drawing one kilowatt of electricity may deliver three or four kilowatts of heat. That ratio, the coefficient of performance, falls as the outdoor temperature drops and as the flow temperature the system must reach rises. A well-insulated house with large radiators therefore suits a heat pump better than one with small radiators, which need a high flow temperature to give out the same heat.' Why do large radiators suit a heat pump?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "They let the pump generate heat instead of moving it" }, { "id": "b", "label": "They raise the coefficient of performance by drawing more electricity" }, { "id": "c", "label": "They deliver the same heat at a lower flow temperature, keeping the ratio high" }, { "id": "d", "label": "They stop the outdoor temperature from affecting the unit" } ] }, { "id": "reading-comprehension-s10-q10", "prompt": "Scheme document, two extracts. Extract 1: 'Households qualify for the insulation grant if the property was built before 1990 and holds an energy rating of E, F or G. Owners and private tenants may both apply, and the owner's written consent is required in every case.' Extract 2: 'Properties already fitted with cavity wall insulation are eligible for loft measures only.' Ms Adeyemi rents privately, holds her landlord's written consent, and lives in a 1974 house rated F that already has cavity wall insulation. What may she apply for?", "choices": [ { "id": "a", "label": "Nothing: private tenants cannot apply" }, { "id": "b", "label": "Any measure in the scheme, since her rating is F" }, { "id": "c", "label": "Nothing: cavity-insulated properties are excluded entirely" }, { "id": "d", "label": "Loft measures only" } ] } ] } ] }, "authoredHints": { "title": "Authored hints", "policy": "This cognitive practice source does not publish authored hints. Every item is listed as missing a hint, and no hint text is generated or inferred.", "items": [], "missingItemIds": [ "reading-comprehension-s01-q01", "reading-comprehension-s01-q02", "reading-comprehension-s01-q03", "reading-comprehension-s01-q04", "reading-comprehension-s01-q05", "reading-comprehension-s01-q06", "reading-comprehension-s01-q07", "reading-comprehension-s01-q08", "reading-comprehension-s01-q09", "reading-comprehension-s01-q10", "reading-comprehension-s02-q01", "reading-comprehension-s02-q02", "reading-comprehension-s02-q03", "reading-comprehension-s02-q04", "reading-comprehension-s02-q05", "reading-comprehension-s02-q06", "reading-comprehension-s02-q07", "reading-comprehension-s02-q08", "reading-comprehension-s02-q09", "reading-comprehension-s02-q10", "reading-comprehension-s03-q01", "reading-comprehension-s03-q02", "reading-comprehension-s03-q03", "reading-comprehension-s03-q04", "reading-comprehension-s03-q05", "reading-comprehension-s03-q06", "reading-comprehension-s03-q07", "reading-comprehension-s03-q08", "reading-comprehension-s03-q09", "reading-comprehension-s03-q10", "reading-comprehension-s04-q01", "reading-comprehension-s04-q02", "reading-comprehension-s04-q03", "reading-comprehension-s04-q04", "reading-comprehension-s04-q05", "reading-comprehension-s04-q06", "reading-comprehension-s04-q07", "reading-comprehension-s04-q08", "reading-comprehension-s04-q09", "reading-comprehension-s04-q10", "reading-comprehension-s05-q01", "reading-comprehension-s05-q02", "reading-comprehension-s05-q03", "reading-comprehension-s05-q04", "reading-comprehension-s05-q05", "reading-comprehension-s05-q06", "reading-comprehension-s05-q07", "reading-comprehension-s05-q08", "reading-comprehension-s05-q09", "reading-comprehension-s05-q10", "reading-comprehension-s06-q01", "reading-comprehension-s06-q02", "reading-comprehension-s06-q03", "reading-comprehension-s06-q04", "reading-comprehension-s06-q05", "reading-comprehension-s06-q06", "reading-comprehension-s06-q07", "reading-comprehension-s06-q08", "reading-comprehension-s06-q09", "reading-comprehension-s06-q10", "reading-comprehension-s07-q01", "reading-comprehension-s07-q02", "reading-comprehension-s07-q03", "reading-comprehension-s07-q04", "reading-comprehension-s07-q05", "reading-comprehension-s07-q06", "reading-comprehension-s07-q07", "reading-comprehension-s07-q08", "reading-comprehension-s07-q09", "reading-comprehension-s07-q10", "reading-comprehension-s08-q01", "reading-comprehension-s08-q02", "reading-comprehension-s08-q03", "reading-comprehension-s08-q04", "reading-comprehension-s08-q05", "reading-comprehension-s08-q06", "reading-comprehension-s08-q07", "reading-comprehension-s08-q08", "reading-comprehension-s08-q09", "reading-comprehension-s08-q10", "reading-comprehension-s09-q01", "reading-comprehension-s09-q02", "reading-comprehension-s09-q03", "reading-comprehension-s09-q04", "reading-comprehension-s09-q05", "reading-comprehension-s09-q06", "reading-comprehension-s09-q07", "reading-comprehension-s09-q08", "reading-comprehension-s09-q09", "reading-comprehension-s09-q10", "reading-comprehension-s10-q01", "reading-comprehension-s10-q02", "reading-comprehension-s10-q03", "reading-comprehension-s10-q04", "reading-comprehension-s10-q05", "reading-comprehension-s10-q06", "reading-comprehension-s10-q07", "reading-comprehension-s10-q08", "reading-comprehension-s10-q09", "reading-comprehension-s10-q10" ] }, "answerKey": { "title": "Answer key", "items": [ { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q01", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "Friday" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q02", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "Bay 6" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q03", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "By telephone" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q04", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "25 minutes" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q05", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "The goods entrance on Weaver Lane" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q06", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "8:00 am" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q07", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "£10" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q08", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "Every Wednesday" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q09", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "A hand-held camera in a permanent gallery" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q10", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "Platform 1" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q01", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "Wait for the light to turn green" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q02", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "Applicants renewing an existing licence" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q03", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "Twice a week" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q04", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "Six" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q05", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "After the cross-brace is fitted" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q06", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "Only if the portal is down" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q07", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "The nearest staircase" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q08", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "Harden the plants off outdoors for a week" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q09", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "It also needs the budget holder's approval" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q10", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "Whenever the indicator shows one bar" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q01", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "A small local project has grown into a wide community effort" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q02", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "The common belief that bats are blind is mistaken" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q03", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "To tell residents about a new subscription charge and how to register" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q04", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "Light pollution is harmful but comparatively easy to fix" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q05", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "Repair cafés: mending goods, sharing skills" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q06", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "The electronic system reduced errors but cost staff time" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q07", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "To persuade readers to donate again" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q08", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "There are practical, evidence-based reasons to keep teaching handwriting" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q09", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "The shop stays open by combining many small services" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q10", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "Consultations should use fair sampling, not just public meetings, to hear the wider community" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q01", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "Agreed by everyone" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q02", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "Temporary and improvised" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q03", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "Gradually shrunk" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q04", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "Unclear: open to more than one reading" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q05", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "Honest and open" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q06", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "In real use, as things actually turned out" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q07", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "Doubtful and questioning" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q08", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "Requiring careful, sensitive handling" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q09", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "Dependent on" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q10", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "Gradually drained away" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q01", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "True" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q02", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "Cannot say" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q03", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "False" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q04", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "True" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q05", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "Cannot say" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q06", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "False" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q07", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "True" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q08", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "Cannot say" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q09", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "False" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q10", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "Cannot say" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q01", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "The collection of five thousand signatures" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q02", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "Friday" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q03", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "Lindqvist" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q04", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "The ferry stopped operating" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q05", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "The turbines" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q06", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "Stirring the butter and sugar into the flour" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q07", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "Iqbal, then Chen, then Novak" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q08", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "Sales" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q09", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "The night crew spotted the leak" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q10", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "It satisfied both the budget and the space requirements" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q01", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "Written approval from a head of department" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q02", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "An exchange, but no refund" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q03", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "Zones B and C" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q04", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "No: he must return it by the original due date" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q05", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "No: standard class was available at booking" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q06", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "Yes: a manufacturing fault within two years, with proof of purchase" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q07", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "No: she was paid for photography within the past five years" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q08", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "One cat, with the landlord's written consent" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q09", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "She is not admitted and must apply for the next sitting" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q10", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "The promotional code, saving £8" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q01", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "Ordering has become slower for people unfamiliar with the café" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q02", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "Some of the cider sold was made from earlier harvests" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q03", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "Her departure has been delayed" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q04", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "The new locks have been causing problems" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q05", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "Silence in the discussion did not mean full support" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q06", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "Participants' expectations affected what they reported" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q07", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "The adaptation boosted demand for the book" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q08", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "The slogan may not tell the whole story" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q09", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "The change of day is the likely reason for the rise" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q10", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "Leisure passengers responded to the price more than commuters did" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q01", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "Offering an alternative explanation for the fall in deaths" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q02", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "That the delay was the inevitable result of the early award" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q03", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "Places in the club went to pupils already scoring above average" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q04", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "That the charges, rather than something else, drove the shoppers away" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q05", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "Admiring of its appearance but doubtful about living and working in it" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q06", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "Among those surveyed, time savings were named far more often than fare cuts" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q07", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "Readers who chose to vote are unlikely to represent the nation" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q08", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "Warm, sunny weather raises both van numbers and sunburn cases" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q09", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "How many calls were made in total each month" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q10", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "Printed summaries should be issued in every hospital at once" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q01", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "No: a recent award holder may only return with a different project" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q02", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "£84.00" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q03", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "Retain the contract until the claim is closed" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q04", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "May" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q05", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "The two figures measure different things and are not directly comparable" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q06", "correctChoiceId": "b", "correctChoiceLabel": "The van must move, because fuelling is under way" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q07", "correctChoiceId": "a", "correctChoiceLabel": "A modest association was found, and it shrank once other factors were allowed for" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q08", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "Glass, as shown in the signed variation" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q09", "correctChoiceId": "c", "correctChoiceLabel": "They deliver the same heat at a lower flow temperature, keeping the ratio high" }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q10", "correctChoiceId": "d", "correctChoiceLabel": "Loft measures only" } ] }, "workedExplanations": { "title": "Worked explanations", "items": [ { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q01", "explanation": "The notice attaches the early closing to Friday 12 June; scanning for the day named alongside the closing time settles it directly." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q02", "explanation": "Match the destination to its bay: the first sentence pairs the Leeds coach with bay 6, while bay 2 belongs to the York service." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q03", "explanation": "The second sentence states the booking method outright. Appointments are made by telephone." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q04", "explanation": "Several numbers appear, so anchor on the one attached to baking: the passage says bake for 25 minutes; the other figures are the muffin count, the temperature, and the cooling time." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q05", "explanation": "The word 'however' signals that deliveries follow a different rule from visitors: they go to the goods entrance on Weaver Lane." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q06", "explanation": "Saturday falls at the weekend, and the notice gives weekends the 8:00 am opening time." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q07", "explanation": "Start from the adult price of £12, then apply the £2 member discount stated in the second sentence to reach £10." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q08", "explanation": "Each waste type has its own schedule; the passage ties general waste to every Wednesday." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q09", "explanation": "The policy permits hand-held cameras in permanent galleries, while flash and tripods are banned everywhere, so only the hand-held option is allowed." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s01-q10", "explanation": "The notice redirects Airedale trains to platform 1 while platform 4 is resurfaced; nothing says any service is cancelled." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q01", "explanation": "Follow the sequence in order: after plugging the router back in, the next instruction is to wait for the green light before reconnecting anything." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q02", "explanation": "The instructions restrict section C with the word 'only': it applies solely to applicants renewing an existing licence." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q03", "explanation": "The phrase 'after that' marks the change of routine: once true leaves appear, watering drops to twice a week, while fortnightly refers to feeding." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q04", "explanation": "The limit is given as its own sentence: no more than six tablets in 24 hours; the other numbers describe the dose size, the spacing, and the number of days." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q05", "explanation": "'Then tighten all bolts fully' comes after fitting the cross-brace, so full tightening is the final step." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q06", "explanation": "The final sentence allows email 'only if the portal is down': that condition is the sole exception." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q07", "explanation": "The instruction names the nearest staircase and explicitly rules out the lifts; the courtyard is where you assemble, not how you leave." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q08", "explanation": "The May step is hardening the plants off outdoors for a week; planting out comes after that." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q09", "explanation": "Both claims need a receipt, a signature, and 30-day submission; crossing the £50 threshold adds one requirement, the budget holder's approval." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s02-q10", "explanation": "After first use, the trigger for charging is the one-bar indicator; overnight charging is warned against, not required." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q01", "explanation": "Each sentence adds evidence of growth (size, food-bank supply, school sessions), so the controlling idea is the project's expansion into a community-wide effort." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q02", "explanation": "The word 'yet' pivots the paragraph against the opening assumption: its point is to correct the myth that bats are blind." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q03", "explanation": "The notice announces a charge, tells residents how to sign up, and warns of the consequence: classic informing, not persuading or apologising." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q04", "explanation": "The examples establish the harm, but the final sentence carries the emphasis: this problem is unusually cheap and quick to fix." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q05", "explanation": "A good title covers both halves of the paragraph, the mending and the social purpose, rather than a single detail." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q06", "explanation": "The concluding sentence weighs both findings: fewer errors, but slower rounds: a mixed result, accurately restated." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q07", "explanation": "The letter recounts past impact only to set up the appeal in the final sentence; the ask for a gift reveals its purpose." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q08", "explanation": "The final sentence states the thesis explicitly: the argument rests on evidence about learning, 'practical, not nostalgic'." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q09", "explanation": "The passage's own summary is its last sentence: no single sideline pays, but the combination keeps the shop viable." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s03-q10", "explanation": "The contrast built through the paragraph, loud meeting voices versus fairly sampled surveys, points to broader, fairer consultation as the takeaway." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q01", "explanation": "The colon introduces the clue: all nine members voted the same way, which is what a unanimous decision means." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q02", "explanation": "Tape and putty contrasted with a proper fix signal repairs that are improvised and temporary." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q03", "explanation": "The numbers fall from forty to a dozen, so the word must describe a gradual decline." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q04", "explanation": "Half the class reading the instructions one way and half another shows the wording allowed more than one interpretation." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q05", "explanation": "Admitting her own mistakes first shows openness. The account was honest and direct." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q06", "explanation": "The sentence contrasts what the system 'was meant to' do with what actually happened, so the phrase means in real use." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q07", "explanation": "Doubting a claim because the sample was tiny is questioning it. The stance the word names." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q08", "explanation": "Negotiations cannot be physically fragile; here the word describes a situation needing careful, sensitive handling." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q09", "explanation": "The second clause defines the first: no approval, no project. The funding depends on it." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s04-q10", "explanation": "Allies drifting away 'until' none remain shows support draining gradually, the image the tide metaphor carries." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q01", "explanation": "Trading since 1962 and still being run in 2019 spans well over fifty years, so the passage guarantees the statement." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q02", "explanation": "The passage times the crossing but never compares the ferry with any other route, so no ranking can be settled." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q03", "explanation": "The rules cap entries at forty lines, which directly contradicts 'any length'." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q04", "explanation": "'Only flour milled within thirty miles' is precisely the claim restated, so it must be true." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q05", "explanation": "Planting was part of an air-quality plan, but the passage reports no measurement of the outcome. Intention is not effect." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q06", "explanation": "Telescopes 'are provided', which contradicts any requirement to bring your own." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q07", "explanation": "Callum operates machinery, and every apprentice completes the induction before touching any, so he must have completed it." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q08", "explanation": "The passage says the rise 'coincided with' the new routes; coincidence in timing does not establish that the routes caused it." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q09", "explanation": "Grants are for repairs only, so spending on new furniture would breach the stated condition." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s05-q10", "explanation": "The passage mentions shortlisting but gives no figures for applicants or shortlisted candidates, so the comparison cannot be judged." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q01", "explanation": "'This forced a rethink': the thing with force is the event just described, the gathering of five thousand signatures against the plan." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q02", "explanation": "She telephoned on Thursday and the parts came 'the following morning', which is Friday." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q03", "explanation": "'Whereas' assigns the fare freeze to Okafor, leaving the rise-to-fund-stock argument with Lindqvist." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q04", "explanation": "Place the events on a line: bridge opens, ferry ceases two years later, slipway converted last summer. The middle event is the ferry stopping." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q05", "explanation": "Running beyond a design life is something turbines do, not engineers or directors, so sense fixes the pronoun's referent." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q06", "explanation": "'Chill the mixture' immediately follows stirring the butter and sugar into the flour; rolling out comes after chilling." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q07", "explanation": "The passage lists the stages in order with 'drafted', 'revised', and 'finally signed off', giving Iqbal, then Chen, then Novak." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q08", "explanation": "The pronoun continues the sentence's subject: sales rose, then sales halved after the recall." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q09", "explanation": "'By the time' and 'had already' place the sealing before the inspectors' arrival, and the spotting before the call, so the spotting comes first of all." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s06-q10", "explanation": "The passage credits the third design with meeting 'the budget and the space requirements', despite being slower to build." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q01", "explanation": "Two remote days are automatic; the third is an additional day, which the policy says needs written approval from a head of department." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q02", "explanation": "Twenty-four hours falls inside the 48-hour window, where the policy allows exchanges but rules out refunds." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q03", "explanation": "The permit's own sentence lists where it is valid, zones B and C, and expressly excludes zone A." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q04", "explanation": "Renewal is blocked by the exception: the item is reserved, so the original due date stands." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q05", "explanation": "The policy reimburses first class only when standard was unavailable at booking; comfort is not a qualifying reason." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q06", "explanation": "Work through the conditions: a failed element is a manufacturing fault, 14 months is inside two years, use was normal, and the receipt covers proof of purchase." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q07", "explanation": "Payment for photography four years ago falls within the five-year exclusion, so the amateur condition is not met." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q08", "explanation": "The policy permits one small pet with written consent; multiple pets, exotic animals, and consent-free arrangements all breach a stated term." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q09", "explanation": "Forty minutes exceeds the 30-minute threshold, which moves Rosa into the must-apply-for-the-next-sitting rule." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s07-q10", "explanation": "The discounts cannot combine, so compare them: the code saves £8 against the loyalty discount's £6, and the till applies the larger saving." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q01", "explanation": "Regulars are unaffected while visitors crowd the counter and queues lengthen, the reasonable conclusion is that ordering now takes unfamiliar customers longer." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q02", "explanation": "Record sales despite the smallest harvest are explained by the stated stock 'pressed from previous years', so older cider must have been sold." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q03", "explanation": "Checking the board, sighing, and queueing for a third coffee together point to a long, unplanned wait, a delay." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q04", "explanation": "Jammed keys within days and the locksmith's return support a problem with the new locks; anything more specific goes beyond the passage." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q05", "explanation": "Half the room abstaining shows that not speaking against the proposal did not translate into voting for it." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q06", "explanation": "Decaf drinkers who expected caffeine still reported alertness, which shows expectation shaped the reports." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q07", "explanation": "Modest sales, then four reprints in six months straight after the adaptation aired, the demand plainly followed the broadcast." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q08", "explanation": "Part-baked wholesaler loaves arriving by van sit awkwardly beside 'baked fresh on site daily', so the slogan may overstate the case, though nothing proves the bread is poor." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q09", "explanation": "With the programme unchanged, the only altered variable mentioned is the day, making the move to Fridays the likely cause." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s08-q10", "explanation": "Commuters kept travelling while leisure crossings halved after the same price rise, so price mattered more to the leisure passengers." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q01", "explanation": "The last sentence supplies a rival account of the same statistic, fewer riders rather than safer roads, instead of endorsing, conceding, or reporting anything." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q02", "explanation": "The phrase 'in the authors' view' marks a judgement about cause; the cost, the eleven-month delay, and the existence of survey work are all reported as matters of record." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q03", "explanation": "If the club was filled with pupils who were already ahead, the score gap existed before any breakfast was served and the causal claim loses its footing." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q04", "explanation": "The argument moves from a coincidence in timing straight to a cure; unless the charges were what actually emptied the street, removing them need not bring anyone back." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q05", "explanation": "Genuine praise for the look sits beside a pointed doubt about the windowless offices, so the verdict splits between appearance and daily use." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q06", "explanation": "The figures record only what respondents said, so the safe reading is the comparison itself; claims about the wider population or about what will actually happen run past the data." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q07", "explanation": "A self-selected group drawn from one magazine's readership is not a fair cross-section of the country, so the poll cannot support a claim about the nation as a whole." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q08", "explanation": "A third factor sits behind both counts: sunshine brings out the vans and burns the skin, so neither figure need be influencing the other at all." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q09", "explanation": "A rise in calls answered quickly means little without the total: if the volume of calls doubled, going from 900 to 1,500 could still leave a larger share of callers waiting." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s09-q10", "explanation": "A single three-month pilot on one ward supports a cautious 'worth testing further' and nothing more; the team themselves ask only for a larger trial, not a national rollout." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q01", "explanation": "Income, age and location all clear the thresholds, but the repeat-applicant clause bites: a group awarded in the previous round may come back only with a different project." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q02", "explanation": "Apply the tiers first, three hours at £30 plus one at £22 gives £112, then take the charity's quarter off to reach £84; the deposit is refundable and sits outside the hire charge." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q03", "explanation": "The open-claim clause explicitly overrides the shorter retention periods, so the nine-year-old contract stays; the records officer's authorisation governs how destruction happens, not whether it is due." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q04", "explanation": "Six weeks from 1 March ends in mid-April, four weeks of drawings then run into the second week of May, and the submission may follow immediately, so May is the earliest month possible." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q05", "explanation": "The dispute is about what is being counted, material collected against material reprocessed, so the safe conclusion is that the two figures do not measure the same quantity. Nothing here proves dishonesty, and the campaign group's number is a claim rather than an agreed fact." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q06", "explanation": "The loading exception would ordinarily cover the van, but the fuelling clause reaches vehicles of any kind and overrides it, which makes the twenty-minute allowance irrelevant while the trawler refuels." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q07", "explanation": "The summary reports a small association that weakened under adjustment and flags self-reporting as a limitation, which is neither a proven preventive effect, nor a null result, nor grounds for discarding the work." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q08", "explanation": "The clause builds a ladder and then places a signed variation above every rung of it, so the variation displaces both the specification and the drawings." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q09", "explanation": "The passage ties efficiency to flow temperature and says small radiators need a high one to give out the same heat; large radiators avoid that, and a lower flow temperature keeps the coefficient of performance up." }, { "itemId": "reading-comprehension-s10-q10", "explanation": "She passes every eligibility test (a pre-1990 build, an F rating, and a private tenancy with the owner's written consent), but the second extract narrows an already cavity-insulated property to loft measures." } ] } }